Beginners and Beyond

loyalty to RW (Read 275 times)

Changes are hard and scary. Losses are even worse. We're here for you whenever you need us. We're not as good as real life, but almost!

And that is succinctly why this group is so special.

MrNamtor

DON'T TREAD ON ME

posted: 3/29/2013 at 10:10 PM

Being a long time member on a forum must be similar to growing old. Most of your old friends are either not doing the activity anymore (dead) or have gone to other forums (moved to Florida).

You remember the old times fondly, and a lot of your old friends are still around here and there, but now you're surrounded by noobies, who have a lot of energy but also seem a little foolish and naive. At least as an old timer on a forum though you get a lot more respect than old people get in our society. So there's that.

Being a long time member on a forum must be similar to growing old. Most of your old friends are either not doing the activity anymore (dead) or have gone to other forums (moved to Florida).

You remember the old times fondly, and a lot of your old friends are still around here and there, but now you're surrounded by noobies, who have a lot of energy but also seem a little foolish and naive. At least as an old timer on a forum though you get a lot more respect than old people get in our society. So there's that.

I've been on the RW forum since the 90s. The only regulars that are still there from that time are ScottyDog and KarenM. I've changed names a few times and was never a big poster, so they might not recognize me as an oldtimer. I did spend a day with ScottyDog in San Antonio in 2001, so he might remember that.

I don't know that I have loyalty, but I like that the RW noobs continually inject new life into it. But you also have the same threads over and over and over and over again (kinda like RW magazine). Right now my least favorite regular thread is going: "non-runners are so stupid". Wow do I hate those threads! I'm going to stay out of it this time.

I have no loyalty to RW, or Rodale for that matter, anymore. I took a gig as part of their media group and covered some events for them. I reviewed some books and articles, etc. I gave them honest feedback on some things I didn't like, including the forum issues over on RWOL. Because of said feedback they canned me. If you can't take honest feedback from someone you hired to give it to you and was also a loyal customer/subscriber/reader then you can take your brand and shove it. I'm now anti-RW.

I have no loyalty to RW, or Rodale for that matter, anymore. I took a gig as part of their media group and covered some events for them. I reviewed some books and articles, etc. I gave them honest feedback on some things I didn't like, including the forum issues over on RWOL. Because of said feedback they canned me. If you can't take honest feedback from someone you hired to give it to you and was also a loyal customer/subscriber/reader then you can take your brand and shove it. I'm now anti-RW.

That's fucked up. As with anything, if you don't want an honest answer, then don't ask for one.

I have no loyalty to RW, or Rodale for that matter, anymore. I took a gig as part of their media group and covered some events for them. I reviewed some books and articles, etc. I gave them honest feedback on some things I didn't like, including the forum issues over on RWOL. Because of said feedback they canned me. If you can't take honest feedback from someone you hired to give it to you and was also a loyal customer/subscriber/reader then you can take your brand and shove it. I'm now anti-RW.

I gave them honest feedback on some things I didn't like, including the forum issues over on RWOL. Because of said feedback they canned me. If you can't take honest feedback from someone you hired to give it to you and was also a loyal customer/subscriber/reader then you can take your brand and shove it. I'm now anti-RW.

This comes as no surprise. I came "late in the game" to RW, but I saw a complete disregard for the community by the "staff". Again...I have created more than a couple forums and even one that was rather active for a number of years. It is, IMHO, the duty and obligation of the staff to be mindful of the community. I made every effort to consider the needs/requests of my members. Eric here does as well. RW...not so much. Your testimonial reaffirms my belief that these people don't really care about doing what is "right" just what gets "numbers".

I'm sorry you had to endure being ostracized by such "unprofessional" personnel.

bobruns

posted: 4/1/2013 at 1:03 PM

I don't have a lot of time to visit either anymore. I would visit both if I did. RW has more activity. I like it here because there is no bull crap to deal with. What you see is what you get. I like that.

ilanarama

fat, old, slow

posted: 4/1/2013 at 1:18 PM

I happened to swing by here and noticed this thread. I never posted much (or read much) in the Beginners Forum; I hung out on the Marathoners, MRT (specifically in the BQ Babes and sub-3:30 threads), the other distances training forum (specifically the sub-1:40 half thread), and occasionally the Trail forum, Boston forum, and L&O. When the exodus happened, the groups of people I'd become friends with in MRT and the sub-1:40 thread didn't migrate - I tried, along with a few others, but nothing really happened - and now that RWOL has its new, non-Pluck forums (which I can actually use, yay) I'm happy to go back and hang out with them again.

Right now I use RWOL for the Marathoners and 5K-to-half forums; I come here for the Trailer Trash and L&O (and occasionally scanning the other user groups and main forums); and I keep in touch with the trail forum, the Boston forum, and the BQ Babes on Facebook. It's not a loyalty thing, it's where ma peeps are, so to speak.

I don't believe Mark Remy ever got over some criticism I had about an article which I just thought was not very good and not very humorous. Not too long after this, I got an unsolicited PM from Runnersworld about submitting an article for the publication. There is a rhythm and tempo to Mark Remy's prose that I recognized in the request. I believe it was him putting me on using the nom de plume Bob Bakalarkis.

I apologize to Bob Bakalarkis if you actually exist... but I still think Mark Remy isn't a very good writer.

I don't believe Mark Remy ever got over some criticism I had about an article which I just thought was not very good and not very humorous. Not too long after this, I got an unsolicited PM from Runnersworld about submitting an article for the publication. There is a rhythm and tempo to Mark Remy's prose that I recognized in the request. I believe it was him putting me on using the nom de plume Bob Bakalarkis.

I apologize to Bob Bakalarkis if you actually exist... but I still think Mark Remy isn't a very good writer.

I brought up the forum issues to Mark in person back in October and he got very 'whoa is me' over it all. I wasn't very impressed with any of the big names TBH. And the behind the scenes people are even worse. I got an email asking why I didn't like an article from a media guy. I replied honestly and in depth. He didn't even have the consideration to reply with a rebuttal before they dropped me. RW has gotten too big for their britches when they start thinking they know better than their readers what the readers want.

I've been on the RW forum since the 90s. The only regulars that are still there from that time are ScottyDog and KarenM. I've changed names a few times and was never a big poster, so they might not recognize me as an oldtimer. I did spend a day with ScottyDog in San Antonio in 2001, so he might remember that.

I don't know that I have loyalty, but I like that the RW noobs continually inject new life into it. But you also have the same threads over and over and over and over again (kinda like RW magazine). Right now my least favorite regular thread is going: "non-runners are so stupid". Wow do I hate those threads! I'm going to stay out of it this time.

That's ok, you'll have another chance in 6 months or so.
I am relieved and refreshed to see the new software on RWOL. Like many other things, though, the people make the place. RA is a little segregated for me, but then I was at a place with RWOL where I was ready to graduate from the BF but hadn't found a new 'home' yet. So the upheaval was just another part of the process.
One group migrated to a FB page. It is very easy to interact there, but I don't like FB based on a few principals and what it does to my mental health. RA is so segregated, and all my favorite peeps are split up into 10,000 different corners. All while trying to learn new peeps. And now the ashes of what was left of RWOL have risen into something that's quite usable, but I'm back to my old problem of being ready to move on from BF but feeling a little homeless. Added, I agree with what PPs have stated about the quality of writing, and Rodale's disregard for their customers. I can't complain, though - free is free.
I would prefer to stay with one website rather than 3, though (FB, RA, RWOL). It's time consuming enough to keep up with one (as if I've been doing even that.)
I'm glad I stopped through, I miss you guys.